Payment reminder device for selfservice racks



Feb. 19, 1963 D. A. BUNDRlcK 3,077,689

PAYMENT REMINDER DEVICE FOR SELF-SERVICE RAcKs Filed Aug. 8, 1960 JNVENTOR Il ani LAB un. dri :.k BY E 7M/'Mz Zlf M/7&2,

AGENT.

United States Patent Oiiiee i 3,977,539 Patented Feb. l, 1963 3,077,659 PAYMEN' REMWDER DEVECE FOR SELF- SERVCE PACKS Daniei A. Bundriek, RG. Box 1152, Sarasota, Fla. Fiied Aug. 8, 196i), Ser. No. 4%59 Claims. (Cl. dii-393) The present invention relates to improvements in selfservice article vending stands relying on the honor system for payment by the self-serving customer, and more speciiically to improved self-service newspaper racks relying on the honor system of payment assisted by a payment reminder device.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a self-service newspaper rack relying on the honor system for payment and equipped with a payment reminder device actuable by the customer during removal of a newspaper from the rack.

Another important object of the invention is the provision of a self-service newspaper rack of the honor system type equipped with -a normaly concealed payment reminder sign which is moved into the customer's view during removal of a newspaper from the rack.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a self-service rack for supplying `daily newspapers under .the honor system at a given price on weekdays and Sunday newspapers at a higher price over week-ends and which is equipped with a payment reminder device adjustable to ydisplay the correct price for the daily and Sunday newspapers.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a payment reminder device which may be attached as an accessory to existing conventional self-service honor system newspaper racks without material modification of the existing racks and at a very low cost.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course `of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, and in which draw-ing:

FG. l is a front elevational View of an existing conventional self-service newspaper rack relying on the honor system for payment and equipped with a single actuator type payment reminder sign, the broken lines showing two positions of the payment reminder sign.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view of the upper portion of the self-service newspaper rack in rear elevation and showing the payment reminder sign in its lowered normally concealed position.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FlG. 2 but show-ing the payment reminder sign in its elevated and exposed position.

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of an existing conventional self-service newspaper rack having a nameplate somewhat wider than that of FlG. l and equipped with a dual actuator type payment reminder sign.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of the upper portion of the rack shown in FIG. 4 and illustrating in full and broken lines the normally concealed and exposed positions respectively of the payment reminder slgn.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary View in end elevation of the upper portion of the rack shown in FIGS. 1-3 with the payment reminder sign in its elevated and exposed position.

In the drawing which, for the purpose of illustration, shows preferred and modiiied forms of the invention and wherein similar reference characters `denote corresponding parts throughout the views, lthe numeral lli generally `designates an existing conventional self-service newspaper rack relying on the honor system for payment and being formed mainly of heavy gauge steel wire. Supported on wire legs ll, l2 is a pocket-like receptacle 13 including a Wire back 14 and a wire front l5 hingedly connected to the back 1d at joints lr6-19 enabling the top portion 2u of the front l5 to be swung forwardly so as to form a long narrow combined entrance and exit 2l for newspapers 22. With this conventional construction7 a pack or bundle of newspapers 22 may be dropped into the pocket-like receptacle ll3 with ythe individual newspapers 22 standing upright so that the name 23 on the forward newspaper may be observed and so .that a customer may grasp the outer newspaper and draw it upwardly out of the pocket-like receptacle 13.

Secured to a pair of vertically spaced wire loops 24, 25 forming an integral part of the wire frame back ldis a tubular bank 26 for receiving coins in payment for newspapers purchased under the honor system.

Extending upwardly from the wire rack le are integral wire loops 27, 23 for attachment of a rearwardly disposed, upwardly extending na-meplate bearing the name of the newspaper. The frame back i4 includes two vertically spaced horizontal wires 29, 30 as an optional means of attachment for the nameplate. ln the example shown in FIG. 1, the nameplate 31 is narrower than the spacing of the upwardly projecting wire loops 27, 2S and consequently it is more convenient to rigidly secure same in a vertical position over the wire back 14 by sheet metal strips 32, 33 extended around the two upper horizontal wires 29, Sil and fastened to ,the nameplate 3l as by bolts or rivets 34, 3S'.

Pivotally mounted at the back of tne nameplate 31 for swinging movement between a normally concealed and downwardly disposed position and an elevated exposed position, as by a bolt 36 passing through the plate 3l is a payment reminder sign 37 having one face 3S displaying the price of daily newspapers and another face 39 displaying the generally higher price of Sunday newspapers. Referring to FIG. 6, the pivot bolt 36 may be effectively held against casual displacement from the nameplate 3d by means `of a back nut 40 which also serves to provide an operating clearance space 4l between the payment reminder sign 37 and the nameplate 31. ln order to facilitate turning of the sign, any quickly removable fastening means such as a washer 42 and cottcr pin 43 may be used to hold the payment reminder sign 37 on the pivot bolt 36.

Extending through the lower margin of the nameplate 3l and fulcrumed thereto is a heavy guage wire or rod 4d having a forward end portion d5 passing over the newspaper exit or outlet passageway 2l at the upper end of the pocket-like receptacle 13. he other end of this wire or rod del terminates in an eye i6 connected by a link f7 to a pull arm 43 on the payment reminder sign 37 beyond the pivot 36. The wire or rod 4d may be provided chain 64.

when the wire or rod 44 is fulcrumed in the plate 31 these'lugs 49 will loosely engage the back of the plate 31. Forwardly of the plate 3d, the wire or rod 44 is loosely held in its fulcrumed position by a suitable enlargement thereon such as a nut 50i. This construction permits the wire or rod 44 to be swung straight up or upwardly and sidewardly in either direction. Secured to the plate 31 is a rearwardly projecting stop pin 51 limiting swinging movement of the payment reminder sign 37 to its uppermost or vertical position shown in FIG. 3. This stop pin l also limits downward travel of the pay- 'ment reminder sign 37 beyond the position shown in FIG. 2. The payment reminder sign 37 will normally fall by` gravity from its exposed position shown in'FIG. 3 to the `concealed position -shown in FIG. 2 but if de- .sired a spring SZLmaybe connected between the sign 37 `and the plate 3l to urger the sign 37 toward the concealed position.

With this construction the sign 37 is biased toward the concealed position bygravity andby spring `means 52 and in the appended claims reference tobias- .paperiinto engagement with the forwardly projecting end portion 45 of the fulcrumed wire or rod, elevating same and this will lower the ring 46 rearwardly of the plate 31 thus pulling downwardly on thelink 47 and swinging the -payment reminder sign 37 upwardly to its exposedposition as shown in FIG. 3. The customer will naturally observe the movement of the sign 37V into its exposed position 4and will normally read the indicia appearing thereon, which indicia-may include the priceiof the current edition of the newspaper offered for sale at thattime and will normally deposit a coin of correctdenomination in the tublar'bank '26. Loosely fulcruming the actuating rod 44 in the nameplate 31 permits the customer to withdraw the newspaper E2 in any one of a number of upward directions without undue interference.

Referring now to the form of invention shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the self-service stand orrack 10A therein shown `is the same as the rack 1t) shownin FIG. l except that it is equipped with a-wider nameplate 31A which is bolted `at 53 and `54 to the opstanding wire'loops 27, 28. `Mounted on the back of the nameplate 31A is a payment reminder device 37A including a sign 37, pivot bolt 36 and spring 52 corresponding to those in FIGS. l-3 but provided with a dual actuator lever 55 instead of the single actuator lever 44 of FIGS. 1-3. Mounted 4for rotary oscillation on the rear surface of the nameplate SlA as by spaced sheet metal holding strips 56, 57 and selfthreading sheet metal screws 53, 59 is a wire shaft '60 ,provided with a laterally/bent intermediate portion 61 forming an arm 162 terminating in an eye 63th-at is connected to the pull arm 38 of the sign 37 as yby a ne The ends of the wire shatt6tl are bent at right angles to form spaced apart lateral arms 65,66 that extend through holes 67, d in the lower margin of the `nameplate `31A and pass over the newspapers 22 in the rack A in the same manner as the single actuator arm 45 in FIG. l, except that the dual actuator arms 65, 66

are disposed over the opposite halves of the newspaper `22 instead of centrally thereof. The operation of the modied form of invention shown'inFIGS. 4 and 5 is the same as that of FIGS. 1-3 in that upward withdrawal of one of the newspapers 22 from the rack 10A `will engage 'the dual actuator Varms 65, 66, moving same upwardly with a resultant lowering of the eye 63 rearwardly of the nameplate 31A and downward pull of the chain 64 so as yto impart upward swinging movement of the sign 37'into its exposed position. However, by providing dual actuating arms 65, 66 a somewhat quicker action of the payment reminder device 37A may be obtained inasmuch as the normal practice by the customer of tilting the newspaper 22 to one side or the other when withdrawing same from the rack 10A will result in quicker engagement of one or the other of the dual actuating arms 65, 66.

A plurality of differently shaped payment reminder signs may be used interchangeably for different occasions and may display appropriate indicia other than or in addition to the price markings.

lVarious other changes may be made in the forms of invention herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of thc following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A self-service rack for'newspaper and magazine type articles including a rearwardly disposed, upwardly extending plate and means embracing a pack of said articles in upright position and providing an exit for separate removal of said articles, a payment reminder devicefmounted on the rack for movement between exposed and concealed positions relative to said plate, said device normally biasing itself toward `said concealed position, a lever fulcrumed on said rack havingra portion normally extending across said exit, and a link connected between the lever and said payment reminder device whereby pressure againstsaid lever portion incident to `removal-of one of lsaid articles .from the rack will urge said device toward its exposed position.

2. A self-service rack for selectively serving daily and Sunday newspapers of kdifferent prices on week-days and Sundays respectively, including a rearwardly disposed, upwardly extending plate and means embracing a pack of said newspapers in upright position and providing an exit for separate removal of said newspapers, a payment reminder sign having opposite sides, one displaying the price of the daily newspapers and the other displaying 4therprice of the lSunday newspapers, means removably and reversibly mounting said sign on theirac'k for movement between exposed and concealedpositions relative t0 said plate, said sign being biased toward said `concealed position, a `lever fulcrumed on said rack having a portion normally extending across said exit, and a`lin`k removably connected between the lever and said sign to permit removal and reversal of the sign and whereby pressure against said lever `portion incident to removal of one o'f said newspapers "fromtherack will urge said sign toward its exposed position.

3. A self-service rack for newspapers comprising means embracing a pack of newspapers in upright position, said embracing means `providing a Vnarrow overhead exit of a Width 'slightly greater than -the width of the newspapers and defining a path of upward travel for newspapers as they are separately removed from the rack by individual self-service customers, a paymentreminder signmounted on the rack for movement betweenspaced positions, said sign normally being -biasedtoward one of said spaced positions, and 'means including 'a plurality of 'elements nor- Amallyspaced along said narrow exit in said 4path of travel `operable, to movesaid sign toward the other o'f said spaced positions responsive to a customers removal of a newspaper from the rack and resultantupward engagement of Athe newspaper with'at least one of said elements.

4. A self-service rack for newspapers comprising a rearwardly disposed, upwardly extending plate and newspaper supporting means `provided with an exit passageway detining a path of travel for newspapers being separately removed from the rack `by individual `self-service customers, a payment reminder sign mounted on the 'rack for movement kbetween exposed and concealed positions relative to said plate, said sign being biased toward said Aconcealed 'position and means including an element normally disposed in said path of travel acting to move said sign toward said exposed position through engagement of -one of `said newspapers with said element incident toiremoval of said newspaper fromthe rack.

5. A self-service rack for newspapers comprising newspaper supporting means provided with an exit passageway defining a path of travel for newspapers being separately removed from the rack by individual self-service customers, a plate norm-ally substantially vertically xed on the rack, a payment reminder sign mounted on the plate rearwardly thereof for movement between a down position in which the sign is Kconcealed by the plate and an up position relative to the plate and in which the sign is exposed to the customers view, said sign being biased toward the 10 down position of `concealment -by the plate, and means carried by the plate including la lever arm normally disposed in the path of travel of said newspapers for elevating said payment reminder sign to its exposed position responsive to a customers removal of a newspaper from the rack.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 942,203` Haywood Dec. 7, 1909 945,488 Pulver Jan. 3, 1910 2,551,915 Turner May 8, 1951 2,745,557 Martin et a1 May 15, 1956 2,798,320 Montalto July 9, 1957 

1. A SELF-SERVICE RACK FOR NEWSPAPER AND MAGAZINE TYPE ARTICLES INCLUDING A REARWARDLY DISPOSED, UPWARDLY EXTENDING PLATE AND MEANS EMBRACING A PACK OF SAID ARTICLES IN UPRIGHT POSITION AND PROVIDING AN EXIT FOR SEPARATE REMOVAL OF SAID ARTICLES, A PAYMENT REMINDER DEVICE MOUNTED ON THE RACK FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN EXPOSED AND CONCEALED POSITIONS RELATIVE TO SAID PLATE, SAID DEVICE NORMALLY BIASING ITSELF TOWARD SAID CONCEALED POSITION, A LEVER FULCRUMED ON SAID RACK HAVING A PORTION NORMALLY EXTENDING ACROSS SAID EXIT, AND A LINK CONNECTED BETWEEN THE LEVER AND SAID PAYMENT REMINDER DEVICE WHEREBY PRESSURE AGAINST SAID LEVER PORTION INCIDENT TO REMOVAL OF ONE OF SAID ARTICLES FROM THE RACK WILL URGE SAID DEVICE TOWARD ITS EXPOSED POSITION. 